Die verband tussen organisasiegesondheid en organisasieklimaat in sekondêre skole

Abstract

Organisational health is a significant feature of the organisational life of schools, because positive health will foster growth and development (Tarter, 1988: 1). A healthy organisation doesn't only survive in its present environment, but also continues to cope adequately over the long term and extends its surviving and coping abilities (Miles, 1969:378). A second aspect which is often mentioned in the same context, is organisational climate. The organisational climate is defined by shared perceptions of behaviour. These shared perceptions determine the communication, norms, the way in which authority is exercised, mutual confidence amongst teachers, participation and supported behaviour (Mentz, 1990: 123). The question arises to which extent organisational health and organisational climate can be connected, and to which extent the subscales of organisational health can be connected to the subscales of organisational climate. The following conclusions were reached: In the literature many dimensions were found which support organisational health as well as organisational climate. The Organisational Health Inventory (OHI) and the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire-Rutgers Secondary (OCDQ-RS) were the two instruments used to measure organisational health and organisational climate. The subscales of the instruments: supportive behaviour of the principal, academic emphasis, morale and mutual confidence amongst teachers, were closely connected in the literature. Contrary to this Hoy et al. (1990:269) found no connection between mutual confidence amongst teachers and the other subscales. He did, however, identify connections between all the other subscales. In an empiric research on the East Rand at secondary schools, a very close connection was identified between fourteen subscales. In the research conducted in some eastern industrial states of the USA, eighteen connections between the subscales were identified. The reliability of the instruments were also tested for the East Rand Region and the alpha coefficients were high. An interesting correlation was identified between schools with an open climate and healthy schools. Schools with an open climate tend to be healthy schools. Recommendation: If practitioners are to use only one measure to map the domain of the climate of secondary schools, the OHI will be the best instrument.